Homemade Cold & Flu Remedies

In healthy living circles, cold & flu season is commonly referred to as Vitamin D deficiency season. Not only do we get a lot less of this essential vitamin, but we spend more time cooped up indoors sharing germs. Luckily, winter doesn't have to mean getting sick for weeks on end! By building up our immune system naturally, washing frequently, and using these homemade cold & flu remedies we can quickly kick those nasty bugs to the curb!

Being sick is never any fun. It's even worse when you have sick kids and start coming down with something yourself! Since we are trying to live a healthier, more natural life, we don't run to the pharmacy or doctor whenever someone gets the sniffles (we've even dealt with mumps that my husband brought home while working out of the country without a prescription or OTC med!) but instead turn to our herbal medicine cabinet, fridge, and essential oils. Here is a collection of 30 homemade cold & flu remedies to help boost your immune system, deal with a sore throat, and even the dreaded earache!

Some of these remedies can be made ahead of time and then stored for when you need them. Others are to be made and used fresh. The one thing they all have in common is that you can make them yourself for a fraction of the cost of many over-the-counter medicines and they have none of the artificial ingredients that over-the-counter remedies are full of.

Homemade Cough Drops – As always, I don't recommend internal essential oil use, but they are listed as optional in this recipe anyway!

Sore Throat Spray – This one has alcohol, but we still use it with the kids since we only do 1 spray as needed (every 3-4 hours). I just keep it in the back of the fridge behind the bottle of wine I'm going to drink one of these days.

Earache Remedies

One of my least favorite parts of cold and seasonal allergies is that I always end up with an earache. It's not an ear infection and clears up as soon as my sinuses quit going nuts, but I needed something to help deal with the pain. Here are 10 remedies I've tried that work for me!

Heating pad – I literally just lay down on a heating pad for 5-10 minutes. I've found moist heat works a little better.

Peroxide – We use peroxide to “fizz” our ears several times a year, but I do it whenever an earache starts too. Simply use a cotton ball to drop peroxide in your ear when laying down, gentling massaging the outside for a few minutes. Place a towel or washcloth over the ear, roll over, and while it's draining, do the other one. Here's a more detailed tutorial!

Ear candling – This is something that can be done at home, but only after you have been taught how to do it. My mother does it for me & the kids. The younger two haven't had it done yet since they always have ants in their pants & I don't trust them to hold still for it.

Reflexology – You don't have to be a reflexologist to learn how to use it on yourself and your family. Here's a basic video that targets earache points. If you want to learn how to use reflexology for other issues, I highly recommend Complete Reflexology for Life.

Lavender Salt – This is designed to reduce pain while you figure out what the underlying problem is.

Massage – Massage the neck and behind the ears in a manner similar to this tutorial.

Essential Oils – Apply 1 drop of Lavender or Tea Tree essential oil to a cotton ball & place lightly over the opening of the ear canal. Do NOT press it into the ear canal.

Chiropractic Care – Getting an adjustment can get the neck and skull back in alignment, improving drainage & decreasing ear infections.

If you're terrified that your child has an ear infection & needs antibiotics STAT, check out this post from MommyPotamus!

Note: I haven't tried all of these remedies & just because something is natural, doesn't mean that there aren't any potential issues. If you have underlying health issues, I strongly recommend you work with a holistic doctor (and there are so many turning to a holistic approach instead of a straight allopathic method now!) that is familiar with your individual issues before taking anything!

You may have noticed garlic comes up quite a bit in there – that's because garlic is amazing! Check out this on 39 health benefits of garlic for more ways to incorporate it into your life.

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Hi, I'm Savanah. I'm a single Momma to four amazing boys. I love spending time creating new dishes, playing in the garden, and homeschooling the boys. I've been working hard on paying off all my debt, including the house, and saving money without sacrificing the fun things in life. Learn more →